Michelin Pilot Road 4s

[Tinkicker]

At the time of the year when I am already starting to think on the lines of winterizing the bikes.  Traditionally end of September.

 

The VFR is currently shod with Bridgestone BT023s of unknown age.  They came with the bike when I bought it in 2019, so are at least five years old.  

These days I ride like a grandad, so the rear is getting a bit squared off. 

Hang on a bit... I am a grandad.  I guess having 4" chickenstrips and square tyres is OK then.  Both front and rear have plenty tread left, probably four mil.  But, I have resolved to put new rubber on over the winter because of the unknown provenance and the squared off rear.

 

 I have nothing against the Bridgestones, they are adequate for the genteel style of riding I find myself employing these days, yet they must be knocking at the door of a 20 year old design.  Last new road rubber I fitted were the then all singing and dancing Dunlop D205s in the early 2000s.  So things must have progressed a bit since then.

 

Have settled on Michelin Pilots.  I do not need the extra performance of the road 6s and the price premium that accompanies them, but find the 4s to be a good compromise.  

 

Anyone had them? Any good? How did they affect handling? Did they roll in to corners reliably and gently, or drop off a cliff like the old Dunlop TT100s?  Do they warm up ok at grandad velocities?  Any other words of wisdom re tyre choices?

[peepae]

Can't go wrong with a pair of Michelin Pilots 4 & up - I had them on a FZ07 and they were really good, felt secure, one minor point was that they could take a little longer to warm-up then some other brands.

Edited September 7, 2024 by peepae

[husoi]

You actually can go wrong with Michelin pilots if you ride a pan European. Had them and couldn't get rid of it soon enough and I don't do sport riding.

 

They just hate them.

Bridgestone all the way.

[Tinkicker]

Thanks for the replies.  Having trouble finding a road 4 for the rear.  170/60/ZR17.  I think it may have to be road 6s.

 

Can't help thinking its a bit more tyre than I need.  The profile on the front looks a bit sporty and droppy in to corners for my liking.   I like to wrestle a bike into a fast bend with my outside knee pulling the tank down. However... 

 

I guess I have a lot of reviews to read.

 

 

Edited September 7, 2024 by Tinkicker

[rob m]

I had PR4's on three previous bikes, (BMW K1200S x2 and Triumph Sprint ST1050). Superb on all bikes and they all qualify as 'sports tourers' so I'm confident they'd work on your VFR. Long lasting, handled exceptionally well and very good in the wet. 1 set did 3 European tours.

 

I have the PR6s on my current K1300S and they are equally as good, if not better. On my recent trip to Germany they were almost telepathic in they ability to turn in when cornering. The only tyre that did that for me previously was the Pirelli Diablo Corsas on my old Fireblade.

[manxie49]

I've used road 4's and 5's both of them were first rate, I really couldn't fault them in any way.  As soon as the rubber rings on my Versys need replacing I'll be replacing them with Michelins again.  I'm a year round rider so have used them in all weathers, and they never let me down.  Definitely worth the upgrade IMHO.

[Mickly]

I’ve had the 4’s on my Speedtriples, worn them to the edges & good mileage plus predictable handling, love them.

[RideWithStyles]

Yes tyres have change since the terrible 200 series Dunlops!

 

Like all michs they require a higher pressure  to maintain their profile due to their natural soft carcass. Which makes them comfortable*.

michs design complex tread designs after pilot road 2 and sports, these can affect how the tread wear pattern goes over time if they suspension cannot be changed to help address this.

Michs have very good compounds which is why they are generally well known for good lifespans but if they don’t pay attention to their requirements you’ll wear them faster.

 

Ive had many over the years in all seasons so for me i dont mind them, *the only negative is that they don’t talk as much as other tyres so you have to have blind faith that they are happy with the pace your going at.
Apart from that id have them, Pirelli, Metz, Avons, etc over flintstones any day! Are BS a bad tyre? no I couldn’t say that just that they dont work the way I want or click with me, so you’ll need to working out what your looking for and need.

[Tinkicker]

Earlier this evening I got off my arse and actually shone a torch on my rear tyre.   The date stamp on my rear tyre says.....

 

 

April 2012. Oh crap.  Never been bothered about dates before, but inexplicably, over the last few months, the rear has been dropping 42psi down to 30 and no lower in a couple of weeks.  No nails or other damage and no sidewall cracks..

Edited September 7, 2024 by Tinkicker

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I fitted them to my CBF500. I ride all year and they are brilliant.  Totally predictable and excellent in the wet. 

 

I do a lot of motorway miles and they seem to resist squaring very well. 

 

On the twisties they corner great. I'd never grounded out the pegs until I fitted them. 

[husoi]

8 hours ago, Tinkicker said:

Earlier this evening I got off my arse and actually shone a torch on my rear tyre.   The date stamp on my rear tyre says.....

 

 

April 2012. Oh crap.  Never been bothered about dates before, but inexplicably, over the last few months, the rear has been dropping 42psi down to 30 and no lower in a couple of weeks.  No nails or other damage and no sidewall cracks..

That could mean the tyre is getting "dehydrated" or running dry.

Check for little cracks near the rim and side wall.

Might be where the pressure is going 

[RideWithStyles]

10 hours ago, Tinkicker said:

Earlier this evening I got off my arse and actually shone a torch on my rear tyre.   The date stamp on my rear tyre says.....

 

 

April 2012. Oh crap.  Never been bothered about dates before, but inexplicably, over the last few months, the rear has been dropping 42psi down to 30 and no lower in a couple of weeks.  No nails or other damage and no sidewall cracks..

Reasons for it to lose that much if no punchers is the valve leak and rim bead seat comprised.

[Tinkicker]

Aye.  The geriatric tyres are telling me it is time to let them go, before they let go on me...

 

12 years old... I was expecting maybe six years as they looked fairly new when I bought the bike. The front still looks new....

 

At least I have something concrete to get the missus to open the purse strings..

[husoi]

12yrs? How many miles a year do you run? 100?

If both are that old. Better do both.

And get your phoking arse on the bike FFS

Edited September 8, 2024 by husoi

[Tinkicker]

The VFR mileage between MOT 2023 and MOT 2024 was 62 miles.....  I have exceeded that this year, maybe 200 to 250 miles.

 

Three bikes to exercise, little time, and even less decent weather coinciding with a weekend makes for very little use.

 

My bikes were never intended to be ridden now,  I keep them exercised and little more. 

They were put back to as new condition for when I retire in five years and do have the time. I would like to do far more with the VFR than I do now.  A bit of touring the country with the missus ect.

 

Money spent now, while working,  means less to spend when I draw my pension.... If I ever get one.

 

The others are MOT exempt but I would say I put another 100 miles each on them this season.

 

Easy to forget that I was either riding, instructing, repairing or managing the operations of motorcycles and the facility professionaly  for well over 40 hours a week, for 12 years,  under considerable stress. 

It ruined my hobby.  Pretty much as keen a rider as you would ever meet before that. At that time, riding motorcycles, either on or off road was not fun, it had just become a job that needed to be done and was taking my time away from more important tasks.  No different to driving a van on a suddenly urgent errand, when what you really needed to be doing was filing your tax return.

I left the motorcycle business in 2011, and it took another 8 years to even kindle the slightest flicker of interest in motorcycles again.

 

If it was not for the love of my old VFR and interest in buying one to restore to factory fresh, then the same with the DT, another bike I always regretted selling, I doubt I would be on here now.

It took the love of the VFR to ease me back into the saddle.  My fondness for riding is growing again, year by year.

 

Never turn a much loved hobby into a profession...

Edited September 8, 2024 by Tinkicker

[S-Westerly]

2 hours ago, Tinkicker said:

 

Never turn a much loved hobby into a profession...

Very true. My son and one of his mates had the chance to play Rugby professionally. My son declined saying that he played for fun; his mate did go pro and had a few good years playing for Bath, mostly from off the bench but ended up disliking the game.

Edited September 8, 2024 by S-Westerly

[Tinkicker]

Sent an email to SJ Bike Tech in Selby to get the price to supply and fit two michelin road 6s to loose wheels.

[Tinkicker]

SJ Bike Tech want £400 to supply and fit a pair of road 6s to loose wheels... And they say they are currently out of stock in my size and cannot get hold of any in the immediate future.

 

I can get hold of some in the correct size for £300, but fitting is the problem.  Last time I bought tubeless road rubber I was running a fully equipped motorcycle workshop and fitted my own.  I do not want to do it at home with vice and levers, too easy to scratch the rims and I am too old old for sweaty endeavors.

Fitting the DT tyres nearly killed me.

 

Does any of the big tyre houses fit customers tyres to loose wheels?

 

I know National Tyres started to a while back.. Do they still do it?

Edited September 13, 2024 by Tinkicker

[veracocha]

Yesterday I finished another tour of Scotland, second time this year. In April it was on fresh Pilot 4's. This time, fresh Pilot 6. Similar conditions, I couldn't tell the difference in ride/noise/grip etc. 

[RideWithStyles]

As a brand they said they did, while Some national branches did (but VERY few) on the ground but really they didn’t want to do it, ud have to ask the one near you but I think your answer will be no.

realistically they want to supply and fit so the get revenue but they will say they don’t want the higher liability with a little reward in income. 

just go a trusted fitter, even if it’s a mobile one, dont get too hung up with an exact tyre unless it a brand you know you definitely don’t get on with and just pay their supply and fit price. MOST of them time it’s better than fooking, fussing about over a few quid of money pinching that just stresses.

 

if you shop with them to be known as “a regular and be “a nice easy going customer” then deals and so forth are more comming…

Edited September 15, 2024 by RideWithStyles

[Capt Sisko]

5 hours ago, veracocha said:

Yesterday I finished another tour of Scotland, second time this year. In April it was on fresh Pilot 4's. This time, fresh Pilot 6. Similar conditions, I couldn't tell the difference in ride/noise/grip etc. 

My R1250RT had 4's on when I bought it and I did the 2022 RBLR 1000 on them. We went through what became known as the Monsoon of Glencoe, proper Hollywood style rain. I've since done the same ride (as well as 15k other all year round miles) on 6's. Could I tell any difference, no. The only difference as far as I'm concerned is the 6's do last a little longer.

Edited September 13, 2024 by Capt Sisko